Can aligner and conveyer



March 4, 1952 R. F. LAUGHLIN 2,587,740

f CAN ALIGNER AND coNvEYER Filed March 3, 1951 .3 sheet$5hee l March 4,1952 R. F. LAUGHLIN CAN ALIGNER AND CONVEYER Filed March 3, i951 .'5Sheets-Sheet 2 l. H TTORNEY.

MalCh 4, 1952 R. F. LAUGHLIN CAN ALIGNER AND CONVEYER Filed March :5,1951 5 Sheets-Sheet mn INVENZr-OR,

Roy F LAUGHL/ H7/'TOR NE Y.

Patented Mar. 4, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CAN ALIGNER ANDCONVEYER Roy Francis Laughlin, Orlando, Fla.

Application March 3, 1951, Serial No. 213,742

8 Claims. (Cl. 2097-72) This invention relates to a device for removingcans from a cold Water bath and separating and aligning them in order topresent them one after another in parallel relation for a furtheroperation, such as for applying labels to the cans.

The invention involves dumping the cans into a plurality of chutes whichinitially align the cans end to end in each chute, followed by a powerdriven roller system which turns the cans consecutively upwardly under aspring tongue to bring the cans in more or less horizontal axialalignment, and to drop the cans down onto a track to permit the cans toroll by gravity to the subsequent operation station.

In the canning process, taking tomatoes for example, the tomatoes areplaced in cans in the raw state, the cans sealed, and then taken,generally in wire baskets into' the cooking retort where the sealed cansare brought up to and maintained at the predetermined cookingtemperatures.

For a superior packing, as to taste and quality of rmness, the cans whentaken from the cooking retorts are promptly dropped into a cold waterbath to 'quickly reduce the temperature of the can contents so astoprevent further cooking, and also to avoid the iiat sour conditionsoften arising where the cold water bath step is omitted. In taking thecans from the retort, the basket holding the cans is lifted, and turnedover to dump the cans into the bath into a more or less scrambledarrangement.

In the present invention, the iicor of the cold water bath tank has. abelt conveyer running thereover, in the nature of a chain link belt sothat water may pass therethrough, and this belt is carried up and out ofthe tank at one end thereof.

The present invention is concerned primarily with the reception of thecans at the discharge end of this belt, to sort the cans into a desiredalignment for further operations through the apparatus embodying theinvention.

A primary object of the invention is to speed up the operation ofaligning the cans when discharged from the cold water bath, and to drythe cans between that tank and the next station, which generally is thelabelling station.

A further primary object of the invention is to handle the cans in suchmanner that they will not be damaged or dented in the realigningprocedure and the conveying vof the aligned cans from the apparatus inquestion.

A further important object of the invention is to save labor and thusreduce the over-all cost of the complete canning and handling operationsthrough the cannery.

These and many other objects and advantages of the .invention Willbecome apparent to those versed in the art in the following descriptionof one particular form of the invention as illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which Fig. l is a view in top plan of astructure embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a view in end elevation and partial section;

Fig. 3 is a view in longitudinal section on the line 3--3 in Fig. 2; Y

Fig. 4 is a view in transverse section on the line 4 4 in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to that of Fig. 4, of a form modied therefrom;

Fig. 6 is a view in perspective of a form of chute modified from thatshown in Figs. 4 and 5; and

Fig. 7 is a view in vertical central section through a pair of canconveying rollers.

A conveyer belt I0 delivers the sealed cans from the water bath abovementioned and drops them over an apron II onto a plurality of troughs orchutes I2, herein shown as ve in number. These troughs I2 are supportedby a frame work I3 to hold the troughs I2 in an inclined arrangementwhereby the slope of the troughs Will be sufficient to permit the cansto slide down the troughs under the influence of gravity. When the cansare dumped over the apron II and fall onto the troughs I2, the Widths ofthe troughs are such that the cans will align themselves in theindividual troughs to slide down the troughs end to end.

The framework I3 is carried by a stand I4, on which is mounted a motorI5 belt-connected to a `jackshaft I6, in turn belt-connected to a shaftI8.

The shaft I8 extends horizontally across the lower end of the frame I3below the undersides of the troughs I2.

Spaced along the shaft I8 are a plurality of pairs of wheels I 9, fiveof such pairs being shown, one pair for each trough I2. In each pair ofWheels, wherein the wheels are designated as I9 and I9a, these wheelsare spaced apart a distance such that the cans will ride thereoverwithout any appreciable portion extending downwardly therebetween.However the spacing is such that the wheels .I9 and I9a in each pairwill hold the can passing thereover in the alignment in which it hasbeen placed in coming down the trough I2 thereabove.

As will -be noted in Fig. 3, the upper peripheral portions of thesewheels I9 and I9a extend above the lowermost line of the trough I2 sothat the can designated by the numeral 20, Fig. '3, will be lifted byits lowermost end to approximately a horizontal position as it leavesthe trough I2.

Mounted across an extension of the frame I3 forwardly of the wheels I9and |9a is a hopper 2| extending the entire length across the ends ofthe troughs I2. The inside face of the forward wall 22 of the hopper 2|is vertically disposed and constitutes a solid wall entirely acrossthehopper. This wall 22 extends downwardly to at least terminate by alower end at an inturned flange 23 which is in turn inclined from oneend of the wall 22 to the other end, such as from the right-hand end tothe left-hand end as viewed in Fig. 2.

The hopper 2| is provided with an inner wall 24 likewise verticallydisposed in parallel relation to the forward wall 22, and's'paced fromthat forward wall 22 a distance slightly greater than the over-allheight of the can 20. The lower end portion of this wall 24 likewiseterminates at an inturned flange 25, this flange 25 being in parallelIalignment with the flange 23, and there being a full opening leftbetween the two flanges. The upper end of the Wall 24 has a portion 25flaring rearwardly toward the wheels I9, to be directed substantiallytangential thereto.

There is provided a vertically disposed plate 21 between the outer topend of the wall 22 and the uppermost ridge -28 existing between each ofthe adjacent troughs I2. These plates 21 are provided to preventaccidental turning of the cans 20 as they pass over the wheels I9, andI9a. There is a spring tongue 30 xed by its forward end to the rail 3|which extends across the upper end of the wall 22. This spring tongue 30is carried rearwardly substantially horizontally and to be alignedcentrally of the trough I2 in each instance, there being one of thesetongues 3U for each of the troughs I2.

The rear end of the tongue 3|] has an upturned portion 32 under whichthe can 20 slides by gravity coming down the chute I2, and as the canend comes into contact with the wheels I9, |9czI the end of the can 20is kicked upwardly forcibly against the tongue 30 and carried onthereunder whereby the can 20 is turned to have its axis disposedsubstantially horizontally, and maintained thereby being in contact withthe underside of the tongue 30 even until the can travels by its rearend portion over the wheels I9, |9a. Immediately the can 20 leaves thesewheels, the can, through the forward impetus given by these rapidlyrevolving wheels, is thrown by its forward end against the wall 22, andat the same time drops under the inuence of gravity into some suchposition as indicated by the can at the position 20a. Thespeed rotationof the wheels I9, |9a is such that this action will be accomplished, butwithout any appreciable rebounding of the can from the wall 22.

Thus the can 20 upon striking the wall 22 is left to the influence ofgravity, and it will drop downwardly between the walls 22 and 24 untilthe outer ends of the can will strike the lower flanges 23 and 25 tohave the can in the postion indicated by the numeral 20h. It is to benoted that the contact of the can with these flanges 23 and 25 is by therolled over edges of the top and bottom closures of the can. Thisprotects the wall of the can from any damage, since that wall does not ltions to horizontal positions, to carry the cans come into contact withany member when it drops. These flanges 23 and 25 constitute then aninclined conveyor carrying the cans under the influence of gravity sothat they mayv roll down those flanges to the next desired station.

There is mounted in spaced relation a plurality they leave the wheels.

4 of partial partition plates 33, the lower ends of these plates 33being provided with a side turned portion 34, directed in the directionof the downwardly rolling cans. These cross partitions 33 are spaced,Fig. 2, to be centered between each pair of wheels I9, I9a so that thecans dropping from each of those pairs may fall between adjacentpartitions, and if there be any tendency to roll sidewise in thatfalling, the lower end portion 34 will direct the cans downwardly in thedirection of the downward incline of the anges 23 and 25.

Should for any reason a can be misdirected or fall out of alignment, tohave the end turn downwardly, the can will drop between the flanges 23and 25 so that it will be removed automatically out of the paths of theproperly aligned cans held by the flanges 23 and 25. The angle ofincline of the anges 23 and 25 is A made to be such that the cansdropping thereon will roll very rapidly out from between the walls 22and 24 so as to be removed from the paths of the cans dropping down fromabove.-

Referring to Fig. 7, the wheels I9, I9a are duplicates one of another,and are preferably made to be quickly replaceable in respect to theirperipheral portions which come into contact with the cans. Oneparticular form of wheel is herein shown, to constitute a replaceablecore 35 which is in the nature of a disk and is clamped between a maleplate 36 and a female plate 31. The male plate 36 is adjustably securedalong the shaft I8 by any suitable means, such as by a set screw 38extending through the hub 39. The hub 39 extends along the shaft I8 toscrewthreadedly receive thereon the plate 31 so that it may be broughtup snugly against the face of the core 35. The core 35 has a greaterdiameter than is the diameter of both plates 3B and 31. The material ofthe core 35 is made to be such that it will have considerable frictionalgrip upon the smooth walled cans. A rubber material has been found to bequite satisfactory.

- While the chutes I2 so far described have been illustrated in thedrawings, Figs. 1-4, as constituting a solid wall trough or chute, thesechutes may be made in different manners, such for example as indicatedin Fig. 5, where the chute is shown as being made out of a corrugatedmetal so that the cans willbe in line contact with various ribbedportions of the chute and thus come into quicker longitudinal alignment,one can after another. The development of the chutes may be even carriedfurther as indicated in Fig. 6, where the chutes are shwon inskeletonized form, being made out of a plurality of spaced rods 4Dmounted in arcuate end members 4I and 42 to give and maintain thedesired degree of curvature for each of the chutes. An advantage of theform shown in Fig. 6 is that the cans may be drained as they slide downthe chutes, and water will thus be kept off of the wheels I9, I9a sothat a better frictional grip will be maintained between those wheelsand the cans.

A primary purpose of providing means for variably spacing apart theWheels I9 and I9a in each pair is to secure the required wheel grip onthe cans 29 sufficient to kick the `cans coming down the chutes up fromtheir inclined posiin a sliding manner along under the spring tongues30. The cans 20 ride on the wheels far enough to horizontally positionthe cans before In effect, a three point hold on the can is securedonepoint on the wheels, and one point on each can end bearing up againstthe tongue 30 in each case. By spacing apart the wheels, the cans wouldbe lowered relative to the tongues 30, and by spacing the wheels closertogether, the cans will be raised.

Also this variable spacing of the wheels I9 and I9a permit the samestructure to be used on different sizes of cans.

The pressure of the tongues 30 on the cans so is-adjusted to be onlythat amount which will just hold the cans in the horizontal positions asthe wheels carry the cans thereunder, and which will permit the wheelsto supply suicient can momentum to carry the cans to the hopper wall 22,to allow them to fall clear of the wheels.

While I have herein shown and described my invention in the oneparticular form it is obvious that mechanical changes may be madewithout departing from the spirit of the invention, and I therefore donot desire to be limited to that precise form beyond the limitationswhich may be imposed by the following claims.

Iclaim:

1. In a device for aligning and conveying cans, means for deliveringcans to said device; a plurality of adjacent aligning chutes over whichthe cans are dumped from said means, each of said chutes being inclineddownwardly from the zone of delivery thereto to permit the cans to slidetheredown under the inuence of gravity, and each of said chutes having afloor generally concave in cross-section of a width to permit the cansto center themselves end to end, 1ongitudinally of the chutes; a pair offriction wheels located at the lower end of each of said chutes, thewheels being spaced apart less than the diameter of the cans to causethe cans to center themselves therebetween; means for revolving saidwheels to have their upper sides travel in the direction of thedown-sliding cans; a hopper ahead of said wheels; an elastic tongueextending over said hopper and spaced labove the tops of said wheels ofeach pair on a center line therebetween to engage frictionally the uppersides of the cans as said wheels grip the cans and carry them under thetongue; front and rear walls extending downwardly from said hopper,spaced apart a distance to receive said cans endwise and with noappreciable play therebetween; and conveyor means at lower portions ofsaid walls onto which said cans may drop.

2. In a device for aligning and conveying cans, means for deliveringcans to said device; a plurality of adjacent aligning chutes over whichthe cans are dumped from said means, each of said chutes being inclineddownwardly from the zone of delivery thereto to permit the cans to slidetheredown under the inuence of gravity, and each of said chutes having afloor generally concave in cross-section of a width to permit the cansto center themselves end to end, longitudinally of the chutes; a pair offriction wheels located at the lower end of each of said chutes, thewheels being spaced apart less than the diameter of the cans to causethe cans to center themselves therebetween; means for revolving saidwheels to have their upper sides travel in the direction of thedown-sliding cans; a hopper ahead of said wheels; an elastic tongueextending over said hopper and spaced above the tops of said wheels ofeach pair on a center line therebetween to engage frictionally the uppersides of the cans as said wheels grip the cans and carry them under thetongue; front and rear Walls extending downwardly from said hopper,

spaced apart a distance to receive said cans endwise and with noappreciable play therebetween; and conveyor means at lower portions ofsaid walls onto which said cans may drop; said conveyor means comprisinga pair of L-shaped tracks spaced apart a distance approximately equal tothat between said walls, said track being inclined to cause the cans toroll downwardly therealong from under said hopper.

3. In a device for aligning and conveying cans, means for deliveringcans to said device; a plurality of adjacent aligning chutes over whichthe cans are dumped from said means, each of said chutes being inclineddownwardly from the zone of delivery thereto to permit the cans to slidetheredown under the inliuence of gravity, and each of said chutes havinga lcor generally concave in cross-section of a, width to permit the cansto center themselves end to end, longitudinally of the chutes; a pair offriction wheels located at the lower end of each of said chutes, thewheels being spaced apart less than the diameter of the cans to causethe cans to center themselves therebetween; means for revolving saidwheels to have their upper sides travel in the direction of thedown-sliding cans; a hopper ahead of said wheels; an elastic tongueextending over said hopper and spaced above the tops of said wheels ofeach pair on a center line therebetween to engage frictionally theLipper sides of the cans as said wheels grip the cans and carry themunder the tongue; front and rear walls extending downwardly from saidhopper, spaced apart a distance to receive said cans endwise and with noappreciable play therebetween; and conveyor means at lower portions ofsaid walls onto which said cans may drop; said chutes having interveningwalls of a height permitting a can dumped at the side of another can inone chute to roll from the under can laterally into the adjacent chute,whereby but one row of cans slides down each chute.

4. A device receiving cans in heterogeneous alignment, for aligning andconveying the cans in xed arrangement comprising means for dumpingmisaligned cans into said device; a plurality of side-by-side chutesinclined downwardly from the dumping zone, each of said chutes having anarcuate floor of a width less than the lengths of the cans, a hopperacross the lower ends of said chutes; a pair of friction wheels at thelower end of each chute, said wheels being mounted upon a shaftextending transversely 'of the chutes, the tops of the wheels beingabove said floors; means for turning said wheels; a spring tongueextending across the hopper to have an end portion positioned above andcentered between the wheels of each of said pairs, said tongue having anunder, smooth, surface, said end portion being normally spaced abovesaid wheels a distance less than the diameter oi said cans, whereby cansare forced along under said tongue in each instance by being gripped bythe pair of wheels thereunder to lift and direct the cans intohorizontally travelling directions; a can stop wall extending downwardlyfrom a forward portion of said tongues, said wall being spaced from saidwheels suiiciently to allow cans carried thereover to strike said walland drop downwardly clear of said wheels; a rear wall depending fromsaid hopper conning said cans to end to end alignment therebetween; andspaced tracks at lower portions of said walls, onto which tracks saidcans may drop with their seamed end portions respectively in rollingcontact with the tracks.

5. A device receiving cans in heterogeneous alignment, for aligning andconveying the cans in fixed arrangement comprising means for dumpingmisaligned cans into said device; a plurality of side-by-side chutesinclined downwardly from the dumping zone, each of said chutes having anarcuate oor of a width less than the lengths of the cans, and a depthsubstantially equal to the diameter of the cans; a hopper across thelower ends of said chutes; a pair oi friction wheels at the lower end ofeach chute, said wheels being mounted upon a shaft extendingtransversely of the chutes, the tops of the wheels being above saidfloors; means for turning said wheels; a spring tongue extending acrossthe hopper to have an end portion positioned above and centered betweenthe wheels of each of said pairs, said tongue having an under, smooth,straight approximately horizontally aligned surface, said end portionbeing normally spaced above said wheels a distance less than thediameter of said cans, whereby cans are forced along under said tonguein each instance by being gripped by the pair of wheels thereunder; acan stop wall eX- tending downwardly from a forward portion of saidtongues, said wall being spaced from said wheels sufficiently to allowcans carried thereover to strike said wall and drop downwardly clear ofsaid wheels; a rear wall depending from said hopper conning said cans toend to end alignment therebetween; and spaced tracks at lower portionsof said walls, onto which tracks said cans may drop with their endportions respectively in rolling contact with the tracks; longitudinalpartitions between said walls aligned between said chutes, the lowerportions of the partitions being inclined in common directions to directfalling cans laterally from immediately below said tongues.

6` A device receiving cans in heterogeneous alignment, for aligning andconveying the cans in iixed arrangement comprising means for dumpingmisaligned cans into said device; a plurality of side-by-side chutesinclined downwardly from the dumping zone, each of said chutes having anarcuate oor of a -width less than the lengths of the cans, and a depthsubstantially equal to the diameter of the cans; a hopper across thelower ends of said chutes; a pair of friction wheels at the lower end ofeach chute, said wheels being mounted upon a shaft extendingtransversely of the chutes, the tops of the wheels being above saidoors; means for turning said wheels away from said floors; a springtongue extending across the hopper to have an end portion positionedabovey and centered between the wheels of each of said pairs, saidtongue having an under smooth surface to guide said cans into horizontaltravel, said end portion being normally spaced above said wheels adistance less than the diameter of said cans, whereby cans are forcedalong under said tongue in each instance by being gripped by the pair ofwheels thereunder; a can stop wall extending downwardly from a forwardportion oi said tongues, said Iwall being spaced from said wheelssufficiently to allow cans carried thereover to strike said wall anddrop downwardly clear of said wheels; a rear wall depending from saidhopper conning said cans to end to end alignment therebetween; andspaced tracks at lower portions of said walls, onto which tracks saidcans may drop with their end portions respectively in rolling contactwith the tracks; longitudinal partitions-'between said walls alignedbetween said chutes, the lower portions of the partitions being inclinedin common directions yto direct falling cans laterally from immediatelybelow said tongues; said tracks having openings therebetween, throughwhich openings misaligned cans may fall to be removed from the paths ofaligned cans on said tracks.

7. In a device for aligning and conveying cans, means for deliveringcans to said device; a plurality of adjacent aligning chutes over whichthe cans are dumped from said means, each of said chutes being inclineddownwardly from the zone of delivery thereto to permit the cans to slidetheredown under the influence of gravity, and each of said chutes havinga floor generally concave in cross-section of a width to permit the cansto center themselves end to end, longitudinally of the chutes; a pair offriction wheels located at the lower end of each of said chutes, thewheels being spaced apart less than the diameter of the cans to causethe cans to center themselves therebetween; means for revolving saidwheels to have`their upper sides travel in the direction of thedown-sliding cans; a hopper ahead of said wheels; an elastic tongueextending over said hopper and spaced above the tops of said wheels ofeach pair on a center line therebetween to'engage frictionally the uppersides of the cans as said wheels grip the cans and carry them under thetongue; front and read walls extending downwardly from said hopper,spaced apart a distance to receive said cans endwi'se and with noappreciable play therebetween; and conveyor means at lower portions ofsaid walls onto which said cans may drop; and means for variably spacingapart said wheels to vary the effectve can spacing between-said tongueand the wheel contacting zones on the cans.

8. In a can conveyer end delivery mechanism, a pair of rotatable membersspaced apart less than the diameter of a can to be carried thereover; aconveyer leading to said wheels; and a spring tongue positioned toextend longitudinally of the direction of can travel and locatedsubstantially centrally of said wheels to be in the path of a cancarried across said rotary members and yieldingly bear on the can tomaintain the can in driving contact with those rotary members; and saidtongue extending beyond said members in a linear manner in a directionof travel of the can from said members to guide the cans in initialtravel over from said members.

- ROY FRANCIS LAUGHLIN.

No references cited.

